A $20 drug in Europe requires a prescription and $800 in the U.S.
6 days ago
- #FDA-regulation
- #pharmaceutical-pricing
- #healthcare-reform
- Miebo, a prescription dry eye drug in the U.S., costs $800+ per month, while its European OTC counterpart, EvoTears, is available for ~$20.
- Bausch & Lomb acquired U.S. rights to Miebo, opting for prescription status over OTC, leading to a 40x price increase compared to Europe.
- Miebo’s 2024 sales hit $172M, far exceeding projections, with prices rising another 4% in 2025.
- Bausch & Lomb has a history of price gouging, exemplified by past drug price hikes (e.g., Nitropress and Isuprel) and questionable patent strategies.
- The FDA’s OTC approval process could be reformed to prevent companies from repackaging OTC drugs as high-cost prescriptions.
- Global reference pricing and retroactive OTC reviews could reduce costs and improve access to medications.
- Exploitative pricing erodes trust in healthcare; reforms are needed to prioritize patients over profits.